This invention relates to structures used in conjunction with window coverings, and more particularly to structures that provide form to flexible window covering materials, such as drapery fabric.
It has been said that what makes a house a home is beautiful fabrics, and one of the most noticeable use of fabrics in a home are draperies. Draperies are versatile in that they are both functional, e.g., providing privacy and blocking sunlight, as well as aesthetic, draperies contribute to a room's style. A drapery panel's pleats are similarly versatile in that they allow it to expand or neatly contract and also add an additional point of design interest.
Draperies are typically made of softer fabrics which easily fold into a vertical “stack” at the sides of a window when opened. But these softer materials tend to lose their shape at the header (the upper end portion of a drapery panel when hung) when they are contracted together into a stack, resulting in a less desirable appearance. Historically, many different types of drapery “stiffeners” have been used in the header to provide it form, such as stiff fabric, cords, tapes and/or elastics. Structures made of metal and/or plastic have also been developed to support the drapery fabric and provide form to the header. However, these form structures have not incorporated features that provide for their adjustment in relation to the particular attributes of the drapery panel being used (e.g., height and width of the panel, weight of the fabric). Form structures used to date often have to be modified in some way from their originally intended use or construction in order to achieve a favorable outcome from their use. That is, they often must be positioned in relation to the drapery panel in some way that differs from its originally intended placement or they typically require unintended structural modifications to achieve a desired outcome, often requiring multiple attempts.
For example, the stiffener disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,009 does not allow for adjusting the amount of drapery rod coverage (effective width) that a drapery panel may provide due to the fact that the distance between the form elements are fixed. If the effective width of the panel needs to be changed to provide a desirable outcome, some sort of alteration to the stiffener must be made in order to achieve a desirable outcome as a result of its use.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,511, with the lack of provisions for adjusting the form structure's hanging element. Drapery panels differ in weight depending upon size and type of fabric, and often require adjusting the position of the hanger element in relation to the rest of the form structure in order to make the header portion of the drapery panel hang level.
One broad objective of the present invention is to provide a structure that overcomes these shortcomings, in addition to others that will become more apparent after reading the following description in conjunction with viewing the accompanying drawings.